Feedback from professionals

“Clinicians can learn from this book”

This is from James Lock, co-author of the manual and of the most thorough studies on family-based treatment.

Eva Musby takes as her starting point Family Based Treatment (FBT) – a therapy that encourages and supports parents to engage directly with changing the maintaining behaviors of anorexia nervosa – not eating enough, over exercising and any other unhealthy strategies for keeping weight at an unhealthy low level. She provides detailed, highly accessible descriptions of what worked for her family and for other families she knows who found ways to defeat anorexia nervosa. Importantly, she provides specific and clear answers to many common questions parents struggle with: how much do we feed her? How long do we sit at the table? Will we harm our relationship with him? How long will this take?

While clinical experts are certainly a part of her story, hearing how she and her family worked out the problems makes her account compelling and heartening to parents who will identify with the dilemmas faced.

Eva Musby uses her family’s story as the basis upon which to write a book that provides a practical guide for parents that brings to life the realities – good, bad, ugly, and beautiful – that are faced when helping a child recover from this terrible disorder.

Her style is a mix of matter-of-fact statements of what worked and what didn’t, and admission of the limits of her know-how. The result is a highly readable volume that offers practical solutions for parents to consider when helping their own child to recover for anorexia nervosa.

Therapists and other clinicians can learn from this book – not only about some of our own limitations and foibles that so often confuse and baffle the families we hope to help, but also about how we might better help families to understand those dilemmas and develop possible solutions to them.

“Brilliant for my patients and for our team”

“I am a family therapist working in the Maudsley Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Service. Your book is packed with helpful information for parents and has been brilliant for my patients and for our team. It conveys the right message in an accessible way; that parents are an essential resource and with the right support can find their own strengths to support their child to recover. I often give parents the website link straight after the initial assessment, when I know the family is leaving the clinic feeling bewildered. Your book and video can help to sustain the family until we meet them again and guide them through the process of recovery. What you put across in your video about helping your child to eat really enhances what we convey to parents and families. I also show it in multi-family groups and in teaching the Maudsley approach to other professionals around the country.” Esther Blessitt, Senior Systemic Psychotherapist, writing on behalf of the Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Service, Maudsley Hospital, London.

“Highly recommend to all parents”

“My colleagues and I routinely direct families to your website and very highly recommend your book to all the parents who attend our service. An extremely helpful and practical adjunct to attending sessions at CAMHS.” Eating Disorders Service, Harrow CAMHS, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

“Outstanding advice”

“This is by far, by leagues, by legions, the most practical and outstanding advice for parents or caregivers battling an eating disorder in their child. Eva Musby helps parents see the light at the end of the tunnel, while giving them tools to chug along the entire way through the nearly airless space that same tunnel represents. It is comprehensive in its scope, but not overwhelming – every chapter has scenarios and suggestions that can only be learned and taught this well by someone who has lived this and come out the other side.
Ms. Musby clearly has a great deal of respect for caregivers and sufferers alike. There is a humility to her writing that makes it clear that every parent and child must find their own way into recovery together, but a confidence and knowledge that leaves the reader feeling more capable and calm than they imagined they could feel.
I love that this guide is evidence-informed but full of parent wisdom. This book distills all the sticky, challenging, fearsome things that both patients and their families encounter when faced with an eating disorder: from noticing the problem to finding effective treatment to refeeding and beyond….back to life and a child or adolescent who can live and eat and be free.
I will be recommending this to every parent or caregiver I encounter in my practice, as well as every health provider working with our patients. It is that good.” Dr Rebecka Peebles, MD, Co-Director, Adolescent Medicine, Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

“Gobsmacked”

“This is amazing! I am truly gobsmacked. I have devoured (!) the excellent chapter on helping your child to eat, with the superb bungee jumping analogy. I’d like to share it with our carers’ group. If I am invited to review your book for any of the journals you may be sure I will give it a very positive review.” Dr E Jane B Morris, Consultant Psychiatrist, The Eden Unit for eating disorders, Royal Cornhill NHS Hospital, Aberdeen and Chair of the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group (SEDIG)

“Recommend”

“As a team dedicated to family based treatment, we have been really impressed by the information and support in your book and frequently recommend it to parents and carers of the young people we treat.” Marc Clegg, Clinical Nurse Specialist in adolescent eating disorders, Parkview Clinic, Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS trust

“Priceless insights”

“As a child and adolescent psychologist specializing in eating disorders, I believe strongly that parents are the patient’s most valuable resource in recovery. But when parents are in the trenches with their children, they desperately need support, guidance, and reassurance.
At last, here is a book written for parents, by a parent, which offers priceless insights from those who have gone through this horrible illness with their children and come out the other side.”Dr Sarah K. Ravin, child and adolescent psychologist specializing in eating disorders, www.drsarahravin.com

“Highly recommend”

“This is really good work. As a readable compilation of what is known and what we hope to know, it is great. In speaking with the clear, humorous and wise voice of one parent to another, it is pretty much the best I have read. […]Eva, as you know I am a pediatric eating-disorder doctor and I highly recommend [your] video for parents. Well done.” Dr Julie O’Toole, MD, MPH, founder and Chief Medical Officer, Kartini Clinic, Oregon, USA

“A fabulous resource”

“Eva Musby writes beautifully about her experiences of having a child with an eating disorder, in Britain and treated within the NHS. Her writing will speak straight to you, will inform you, whilst not preaching at you.Every family is different and will have different experiences but the core parts of the illness are the same. The unique way Eva has compiled this book — written over time with feedback and comments from subscribers — means she has drawn on more than her own experiences. We have been sharing the book with families in treatment and know how helpful it has been to them, as they are under huge pressure as the central resource for their child in overcoming an eating disorder. Eva expands on her personal journey, which helped her with these challenges. This is a unique contribution to the current literature written by parents. Eva Musby’s book is brave, insightful, accessible, unique and above all a fabulous resource for parents and carers with a child with an eating disorder, written by a fellow parent who knows what it’s like.” Charlotte Oakley, Clinical Lead, Connect-Eating Disorders, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Team, UK

“What no one else does: the HOW“

“Parents are starting to understand the WHY and the WHAT they must do when a loved one has a restrictive eating disorder, but Musby does what no one else does: shares the HOW. Parents need solid tools, tips, and problem-solving. Open any page in this book and you’ll find a bit of the hard-won advice that parents around the world are teaching one another. Read this book to join the growing movement of parents who are saving their sons and daughter’s futures and their lives through good information and action.” Laura Collins, F.E.A.S.T. Founder

“A real help”

“I am working with a mother who is finding your book a real help at the moment. […] One of my families had read your section on mealtimes prior to doing the FBT Family Meal in the clinic. They found it really helpful and brought lots of great ideas in to the session. […] The section on managing at mealtimes is so helpful. Love the bungee jump idea.” Karen McMahon, Specialist in Family-Based Treatment, Connect-Eating Disorders, Glasgow

“Empowering”

“I love the ‘voice’ that you use to write – so often I have read patient’s/parent’s/service-user’s blogs, and have found them so inaccessible due to an aggressive ‘wronged’ approach, or lecturing approach, or moaning [!] or worst of all, the strident expert who really, really isn’t! Your book reads with real compassion, reassurance and excellent knowledge with the strong back story of experience. I can imagine if I was a parent reading this I would find it tremendously comforting and reassuring as well as empowering.” From our General Practitioner

What a delight to stumble across your awesome work. I am working on a small island in the pacific and could do with a PDF copy of your book to help the many children and families I deliver Fbt to. Would that be something you could send me because I so need additional tools to create confidence and empower parents

I love it when our values and our pragmatism combine. I think this is a wonderful approach and am glad to have read it. Nonviolence in our communication with this group of sufferers has come late in the day – but that’s so much better than never…..

I have two copies of this book in my office at all times, regularly lend it out, show the “bungee YouTube” often right there in office with parents.

As others have stated, it has so much about the “how to” which parents need. A weekly appointment does not do the trick. I found in my practice, and I bill myself as a “parent coach”, that in those first few weeks out of the gate, parents need to contact me several times daily, and I allow that.

This book is the best possible extender of that kind of constant support that I have seen.
Dr Therese Waterhous, Registered Dietitian specialising in eating disorders

Caution please (Disclaimer)

I’m a parent – not a clinician. This site is not a substitute for professional advice. Pay attention to your instincts, read widely, speak to other parents, and most importantly, keep your clinicians in the loop.